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If you’ve hired someone yourself, you may recognize the weaknesses of the
first, poorly presented letter—and the strengths of the second, stronger one. If you
haven’t hired anyone, approach the letter as you might a solicitation for a charita-
ble contribution, a letter that attempts to be equally convincing. Which of the two
letters would you be more likely to read through to the end? Which makes a bet-
ter impression? Which candidate would you be more likely to interview?
TEN BASIC DO’S AND DON’TS FOR WRITING KILLER
COVER LETTERS

The two preceding letters provide concrete, visual examples of the 10 basic do’s
and don’ts to follow in all your jobhunting correspondence.

1. DRESS (YOUR LETTERS) FOR SUCCESS
Do send professional letters. Don’t send form letters.
Do make your letters clean and professional looking. Even so much as an ink blot
is clearly an insult to the reader. It implies that the reader is not worth the time it
would take to retype the letter. Worse, it suggests that you are a sloppy person
who doesn’t value order, personally or in the workplace. Recruiters spend a good
deal of time advising jobhunters how to dress for an interview because employers
demand clean, orderly staff members with professional demeanors. Your letter
should reflect these characteristics.
Do not allow any letter to appear as if it were a form letter. The handwritten
salutation at the start of Letter 2-1 suggests that the writer prints many copies of
this letter and simply adds the recipient’s name before mailing it. Your reader
should not feel as though you are sending the same letter to hundreds of employ-
ers—even if you are! Instead, create the impression that you are sending a letter to
a specific person for a specific reason: because you believe that there is an ideal
match between you and your prospective employer. Standard lines such as “I
want to work for your company” are meaningless to an employer, particularly if
you haven’t mentioned the name of the company, as the writer in Letter 2-1 ne-
glected to do. If you really want to work for a specific firm, you must have a rea-
son. State it.

2. ZOOM, DON’T RESUME
Do make your letter different from your resume.
If your resume is strong, it will provide all the information your interviewer will
need. (If it’s not, there are plenty of books, software programs, and professional
resume writers to help you strengthen it.) So don’t just regurgitate your resume in
letter form. “Zoom in” on the most salient points of your resume. Even better, con-
solidate facts in your resume into an overview statement. Summarize a benefit—
such as “solid employment record,” “extensive industry experience,” or “proven
track record.” Guide your reader in forming an appropriate impression of you

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